Press Release: State aid: Commission endorses public service compensation for UK Post

The European Commission on 24 February 2006 decided not to raise objections under EC Treaty state aid rules to a refinancing measure in favour of Post Office Limited (POL), the retail subsidiary of the British Royal Mail Group plc. The measure in question refinanced an earlier funding to compensate POL for the public service costs of rural counter coverage, which the European Commission had approved in 2003 (State aid N 784/2002).